All things have their season...

As the year winds down, so does this blog. God willing and time permitting, I may start blogging again next Christmas.

If you are looking for a Catholic blog to visit, here are a few which I have visited recently and can recommend.  Of course, no blog is perfect, but each of these will edify, enlighten and/or entertain:

Unam Sanctam Catholicam
Laodicea
Old Time Catholic Blog
The Curt Jester
Catholic Cartoon Blog
Rorate Caeli
WDTPRS

And here a few good websites:

Fish Eaters has a wealth of information about Catholic customs.
If your goal is the perfection of your soul, visit the Saints' Discussion Forums.
The New Liturgical Movement has writers knowledgeable about the history of the Mass, who hope to restore to our Liturgy the reverence and transcendent beauty which has become more elusive in recent decades.

Finally, please sign this online petition to the Pope, requesting that he publicly celebrate the Traditional Mass himself. What a beautiful sign of unity and good will between himself and traditional Catholics that would be!

May God bless you in the coming year.

Deo gratias semper agamus.

Once in Royal David's City

What Child is This?

I Wonder as I Wander

In Dulci Jubilo

On the Feast of Stephen

Good King Wenceslas looked out on the feast of Stephen,
when the snow lay roundabout, deep and crisp and even.

Brightly shone the moon that night, though the frost was cruel,
when a poor man came in sight, gathering winter fuel.

"Hither, page, and stand by me, if thou know'st it, telling:
yonder peasant, who is he? Where and what his dwelling?"

"Sire, he lives a good league hence, underneath the mountain,
right against the forest fence, by St. Agnes fountain."

"Bring me flesh and bring me wine, bring me pine logs hither.
Thou and I will see him dine, when we bear them thither. "

Page and monarch, forth they went, forth they went together,
through rude wind´s wild lament and the bitter weather.

"Sire, the night is darker now and the wind blows stronger.
Fails my heart, I know not how; I can go no longer."

"Mark my footsteps, good my page, tread thou in them boldly.
Thou shalt find the winter´s rage freeze thy blood less coldly."

In his master´s steps he trod, where the snow lay dinted.
Heat was in the very sod, which the saint had printed.

Therefore, Christian men, be sure, wealth or rank possessing,
ye who now will bless the poor shall yourselves find blessing.

+++
Walk in thy King's footsteps, Christian reader, and do not fear the winter's rage.

Tua Bethlem Dref

Here is a Christmas song that deserves to be better known, from the movie A Child's Christmas in Wales:

On to Bethlehem town;
Join the crowd and travel down;
Down the road that leads us to the cradle.
Come all who are able.
Come, come to the stable with
Hearts full of joy as we kneel and pray
Come and see the child,
With his mother Mary mild.
Come along and worship at the cradle.

There we'll see the boy;
Hearts aglow with boundless joy;
In the everlasting word.
We will bow before for Him
Come, come and adore Him
Bringing gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.
On to Bethlehem town;
Join the crowd and travel down.
Down the road that leads us to the cradle.

Click on the notes to the left for sheet music thoughtfully provided by Cypress Films. Click here for a rendition of the song in the original Welsh. Nadolig Llawen!

Rorate caeli

Rorate caeli desuper, et nubes pluant iustum.
Rorate caeli desuper, et nubes pluant iustum.

Ne irascaris Domine, ne ultra memineris iniquitatis:
ecce civitas Sancti facta est deserta:
Sion deserta facta est: Jerusalem desolata est:
domus sanctificationis tuae et gloriae tuae,
ubi laudaverunt te patres nostri.

Rorate caeli desuper, et nubes pluant iustum.
Rorate caeli desuper, et nubes pluant iustum.

Peccavimus, et facti sumus tamquam immundus nos,
et cecidimus quasi folium universi:
et iniquitates nostrae quasi ventus abstulerunt nos:
abscondisti faciem tuam a nobis,
et allisisti nos in manu iniquitatis nostrae.

Rorate caeli desuper, et nubes pluant iustum.
Rorate caeli desuper, et nubes pluant iustum.

Vide Domine afflictionem populi tui,
et mitte quem missurus es:
emitte Agnum dominatorem terrae,
de Petra deserti ad montem filiae Sion:
ut auferat ipse iugum captivitatis nostrae.

Rorate caeli desuper, et nubes pluant iustum.
Rorate caeli desuper, et nubes pluant iustum.

Consolamini, consolamini, popule meus:
cito veniet salus tua:
quare maerore consumeris, quia innovavit te dolor?
Salvabo te, noli timere
(ego enim sum Dominus Deus tuus,
Sanctus Israel, Redemptor tuus).¹

Rorate caeli desuper, et nubes pluant iustum.
Rorate caeli desuper, et nubes pluant iustum.